


for you, a thousand times over

by byeolbit



Series: these deep blue waters [2]
Category: VIXX
Genre: M/M, the happy sequel to rubatosis, we also get brief glimpses of Wonshik and Jaehwan, well happy ish
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-11
Updated: 2018-10-11
Packaged: 2019-07-29 11:15:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,675
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16263077
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/byeolbit/pseuds/byeolbit
Summary: For Hakyeon, Taekwoon would live and die a thousand times over.





	for you, a thousand times over

**Author's Note:**

> The happy sequel to rubatosis. Or somewhat happy. I tried.

“Delivery for a Cha Hakyeon” a man called out. 

“I’m in the garden!” Hakyeon yelled out in response, getting up. He clapped his hands to dust off the mud on his gloves. He took one of the gloves off to receive his letters and signed for them. The delivery man thanked him and went on his way.

“Did we get mail?” Hongbin asked, sticking his head out and looking at Hakyeon who was sifting through the envelopes. The stray tabby cat that had been sitting at the window meowed indignantly before moving to another ledge.

“I did but it’s mostly bills” he told the younger man. 

“I’ll come down and collect it so that you can continue gardening” Hongbin offered.

“Thank you Binnie” Hakyeon sang. He looked around and noted that he was mostly done for the day. He only had two more plants to plant into the flower bed and then he could retire for the day.

“Hand them over” Hongbin said stretching his hand out. The flower bed had recently been tended to and he didn’t want to accidentally ruin Hakyeon’s hard work. So he stood by the side and stretched his arms out instead.

“Here you go. Please put them in my study” Hakyeon said with a grin. 

Hongbin gave him a thumbs up and took the letters inside. He walked up the stairs to Hakyeon’s study and opened the door. He shook his head disapprovingly when he saw that the table was a mess of papers and more envelopes. Hongbin looked around, wondering how to place the letters on top of everything. He placed them carefully on top and cursed when the stack came lose and papers fell.

A small box fell on top of everything and Hongbin frowned. He picked it up and shook it a little, trying to figure out if whatever was inside was fine after the fall. It seemed to be empty save for something small that thudded against the walls of the box. He frowned, wondering if there was a way to open it and check.

“Don’t open it.”

Hongbin started when he heard Hakyeon. Hakyeon stood at the door, still in most of his gardening gear.

“I didn’t -”

“It’s alright. Just… it isn’t mine. I’m only holding onto it for someone else. So please don’t open it” Hakyeon explained.

“I’m sorry” Hongbin apologized. Hakyeon waved it off, taking the box from him.

“I’ll clean up the muddy mess” Hakyeon said, apologetic about the mess his muddy boots had created.

“It’s alright. I’ll clean that up. I’m the housekeeper after all” Hongbin said, still feeling sorry and awkward about the entire mess up. Hakyeon nodded and said no more, staring at the box. Hongbin left him alone in the study, wondering what was in the box to have made the normally carefree Hakyeon so touchy.

Hakyeon sighed and placed the box in a drawer and locked it. He should have put it away last night. He never should have taken it out, but he didn’t make the best decisions under the influence of too much wine.

Had it already been years since Taekwoon had left?

He shook his head. He couldn’t go down this road again. Not today, not ever.

 

-

 

“That’s it for today. Please summarize your findings and turn in your worksheet for the lab before you leave” Hakyeon announced. 

There was a mass movement of students picking up and packing their things before shuffling forward to the desk where they were supposed to submit their lab assignments. Some students greeted him before leaving while most left silently. Hakyeon didn’t think too much about it, having grown accustomed to it. He did miss his own post graduate lab professor, who was the most jovial and talkative man he had ever met.

“Hey, prof? There’s someone here looking for you” Wonshik said, sticking his head into the classroom. 

“Uh… send them in” Hakyeon said. He didn’t have class for another hour and he doubted his sudden appointment would take that long.

“Sure prof” Wonshik said, pulling away. The door opened fully and a tall man walked in awkwardly. Hakyeon froze, recognizing the person.

“You changed your residence” Taekwoon said by means of an explanation. “You also quit your job at the marine conservation centre.”

“I wanted to teach” Hakyeon said, turning his attention back to his papers. He was hallucinating. He really was. This was the effect of missing him too much. This was all his fault for pulling out the shell necklace when he should have left it buried in the past. There was no way Taekwoon was here.

“I have to go” Hakyeon said, collecting his papers and walking past Taekwoon. Their shoulders bumped but Hakyeon knew it was his imagination. 

 

-

 

“Hakyeon… are we supposed to have a man sitting on your doorstep playing with cats?” Hongbin asked, looking out of the window of Hakyeon’s study. 

Hakyeon had decided that Hongbin needed to help him clear out his study and so the man was here. But the stranger sitting outside Hakyeon’s house concerned him. The old man had been here since the time Hongbin had come in. He had been standing by the gates at first but was now sitting at their porch and playing with the stray tabby cat.

“There’s no man out there Hongbin, you are imagining things” Hakyeon said firmly, sorting through old bills and advertisement pamphlets. 

“There very much is a man sitting on your doorstep and playing with your cat. You are supposed to report your stalkers and not ignore them” Hongbin scolded. 

“He’s not a stalker” Hakyeon said quietly.

“A disgruntled ex? You haven’t dated anyone in years” Hongbin asked, confused.

“He’s no one” Hakyeon said firmly. “We have a lot of things to sort through.”

 

-

 

“I thought you were going to send me away” Taekwoon said when Hakyeon opened the door. Night had fallen and Hongbin had left long ago. Taekwoon had stayed, occasionally playing with the stray tabby cat that had taken a liking to him.

“I am” Hakyeon said. “Or at least I should.”

“Is that why you have two mugs of hot chocolate on the tray?” Taekwoon asked, gesturing to Hakyeon’s hands. Hakyeon said nothing, except holding the door open for the merman. Taekwoon took the chance, letting the tabby cat follow. Hakyeon said nothing about the stray and walked on ahead to the kitchen.

“Why are you here?” Hakyeon asked, sitting down on one side of the couch. He held onto his mug of hot chocolate, despite it being really hot.

“I came back. For you” Taekwoon said simply. He took the second cup and took a sip, instantly regretting it because the hot chocolate hurt his tongue. 

“You weren’t supposed to. You said that if you left, you would never be able to come back” Hakyeon reminded him. His tone was harsher than intended but he had to ask.

“I didn’t think I could. Then a lot of things changed and Jaehwan helped me find a way to stay for longer” Taekwoon told him. Hakyeon remembered Jaehwan, the sea witch who had given Taekwoon the initial spell for turning into a human. That had been disastrous and had almost killed Taekwoon in the process. It was the entire reason he had left.

“I can’t stay for an indefinite amount of times. I have to return to the sea once in six months. More if I feel ill” Taekwoon explained. “But my human heart is stronger now and I have better resistance than last time.”

Hakyeon stayed silent, saying nothing in response to Taekwoon’s explanations. He took slow measured sips of the hot chocolate while Taekwoon had decided to abandon his entirely after his tongue burning on it.

“You quit your job at the conservation center” he asked, unable to take the silence.

“It became too taxing for me. I decided to teach” Hakyeon replied. He didn’t want to tell Taekwoon that he had quit because the sea reminded him of Taekwoon.

“And you moved inland.”

“Not too far in. I can still see the sea from the rooftop.” 

“And you don’t wear my sea shell necklace anymore.”

Hakyeon’s lips thinned. “No… not anymore” he answered after a long moment.

“You’re mad” Taekwoon said. It wasn’t a question or an accusation. Just a statement of fact.

“I am” Hakyeon agreed.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t want to leave” Taekwoon apologized.

“And I didn’t want you to die. So that was that” Hakyeon shot back.

“For you? I would die a thousand times over” Taekwoon said simply, causing Hakyeon to still. His heart betrayed him by speeding up and the thoughts in his brain went haywire at the sound of familiar loving words.

“Don’t” Hakyeon said quietly, ending the discussion. Taekwoon nodded to himself, taking the cue. He picked up the hot chocolate which was lukewarm now and took a sip.

“It tastes the same” he said, tasting the beverage. 

“Still the same person making it” Hakyeon said. “Why were you sitting on my porch? Don’t you have to go back home?”

“I don’t have a home. I came back to land because of you. It took me a while to find you but your student was helpful” Taekwoon told him.

“Wonshik is too naive. How did you find me?” Hakyeon asked.

“Your seashell necklace” Taekwoon replied simply. Hakyeon bit his lip. Maybe he shouldn’t have taken the necklace out. Or should he have taken his necklace out sooner? He didn’t know the answer to that.

“Will you stay the night?” he asked. Taekwoon looked at him hopefully. “I won’t kick you out on a dark and cold night. And the stray cat can stay too if you like it so much but it needs to get injections from a vet soon.”

“Thank you” Taekwoon said, lighting up at the prospect of a new friend. Hakyeon nodded, trying to ignore the warm feeling in his chest that had snuck in while he was trying to be mad at Taekwoon for having left him years ago.

 

-

**Author's Note:**

> Come cry with me on my [Twitter](https://twitter.com/poojamk15?s=09) or my [Tumblr](https://vixxscifiwritings.tumblr.com)


End file.
